see_sadie_read's review
This book has an awesome cover and I was really looking forward to loving it. Unfortunately, the writing, story and plotting do not live up to that amazing image. I'm DNFing this at 25%. As I said in a status update, before deciding to quit, the book feels like it's trying hard to be transgressive. And like someone who is trying hard to be funny and failing, it's just painful to watch. The book just isn't very good.
barb4ry1's review against another edition
2.0
I choose most of my books via r/fantasy. Last week the author offered Melokai at a discounted price so I grabbed a copy. I knew nothing about the book or the author and didn’t know what to expect.
The opening of the book is more than promising. Nicely written and intriguing, it allowed me to enter the lore in a smooth way. I was hooked from the start and wanted to learn more.
Allow me to share some thoughts.
The story follows multiple characters and cultures. The titular Melokai is a legendary warrior Ramya who has successfully reigned over Peqkya for twelve years. Her time is up. She expects a gruesome fate that awaits all Melokais after their service is over. Instead, she hears a shocking prophecy. Peqkya may no longer be safe.
Problems arise in many places. Mainly because Ramya isn't as loved and cherished as she believed to be. After she takes a mysterious cave creature from the east as a lover there is a current of discontent that gets stronger each day.
There's also a traitor who plays a game for power with the royal family of Drome.
Pleasure Givers feel tired of their chores and hard life. And their life is indeed hard. PG's are men destined to pleasure sexually women who reign Peqya. They're not supposed to have an opinion, they're supposed (and trained) to please. Here's a quote explaining PG's professional career:
Aside from rebellion brewing in Peqya the hordes of wolves start to attack people. Wolves are sentient and some of them have intriguing secrets.
And that's barely a start. The book is ambitious in its scope and number of introduced characters and subplots.
The world-building is done in a neat and elegant way and there's practically no info-dumping. Some clever end of chapter cliffhangers can be spotted and appreciated, action scenes are done mostly well and locations are fantastic. Much is happening and it keeps reader's attention from page to page.
The writing was very nice. Perhaps some of the dialogues felt a bit off but, overall, it's clearly seen Rosalyn Kelly is a skilled writer.
So, dude, why did you two stared it, eh?
Well. There are few reasons.
I'll start with the characters. I wasn’t able to relate to any of them. If I at least actively disliked them that would be better than my utter lack of interest in them. Main characters of the book and their motivations are shallow and their development is, wait, what development? There’s none.
Basically, most characters in the book are arrogant, vain, devious and shallow. They're motivated mainly by the greed, sexual drive, and power. Sure, these are powerful driving forces for real people as well. But I find it difficult to muster any sympathy for self-absorbed and hollow people. I love complex anti-heroes. Sadly, I fail to see any signs of real complexity in characters presented in Melokai.
Of course, we can agree to disagree on this one. Twists do occur. Characters die. Other characters suffer and experience a change of heart but I'm not sure it was done in a convincing way. Farraz "change" and monologue was caricatural. Ramya's reflexions near the end of the book were, well, interesting but they were just something we were told in the end. Not something that was palpable in her behavior. For me, these changes lacked subtlety and felt unbelievable.
The other reason can be defined in two words - sex and violence. I don't consider myself a prude. I have no objection to a well-written erotic scene in its place but I prefer the bedroom doors closing much sooner. In Melokai we witness gross anatomy, explicit sex scenes, things getting rough and violent. There's a rape scene and sexual violence toward both men and women. Personally, I fail to see how does it serve the plot aside from offering some shock value. So, for me, it was gritty and gruesome on the outside, empty inside.
Also, some of it was bizarre. Is it really the easiest way to poison someone by? I mean, I'm not even a killer and I can think of few other ways to do it.
Usually, I have no problem with violence but the problem arises when the characters are built through these scenes. If sex and violence were cut out of the book only a short story would remain. I don't need to see toddler's crushed skull to despise the character who steps on it. Really.
In the end, I'll stay true to my feelings toward the book. I didn't like it. I see little value in the way the events were presented. On the other hand, the book is well structured, clever in places, well edited and neat. If you like your stories to be dark and a bit nihilistic chances are you're enjoy this tale much more than I.
The opening of the book is more than promising. Nicely written and intriguing, it allowed me to enter the lore in a smooth way. I was hooked from the start and wanted to learn more.
Allow me to share some thoughts.
The story follows multiple characters and cultures. The titular Melokai is a legendary warrior Ramya who has successfully reigned over Peqkya for twelve years. Her time is up. She expects a gruesome fate that awaits all Melokais after their service is over. Instead, she hears a shocking prophecy. Peqkya may no longer be safe.
Problems arise in many places. Mainly because Ramya isn't as loved and cherished as she believed to be. After she takes a mysterious cave creature from the east as a lover there is a current of discontent that gets stronger each day.
There's also a traitor who plays a game for power with the royal family of Drome.
Pleasure Givers feel tired of their chores and hard life. And their life is indeed hard. PG's are men destined to pleasure sexually women who reign Peqya. They're not supposed to have an opinion, they're supposed (and trained) to please. Here's a quote explaining PG's professional career:
You need to be skilled at one thing. Sex. You need to pleasure every woman every time and each woman is different. If you fail, the customary death sentence awaits. Your cock is cut off, stuffed in your mouth and you are rammed on a pole in the marketplace and left there to bleed, die and rot in shame. /i>
Aside from rebellion brewing in Peqya the hordes of wolves start to attack people. Wolves are sentient and some of them have intriguing secrets.
And that's barely a start. The book is ambitious in its scope and number of introduced characters and subplots.
The world-building is done in a neat and elegant way and there's practically no info-dumping. Some clever end of chapter cliffhangers can be spotted and appreciated, action scenes are done mostly well and locations are fantastic. Much is happening and it keeps reader's attention from page to page.
The writing was very nice. Perhaps some of the dialogues felt a bit off but, overall, it's clearly seen Rosalyn Kelly is a skilled writer.
So, dude, why did you two stared it, eh?
Well. There are few reasons.
I'll start with the characters. I wasn’t able to relate to any of them. If I at least actively disliked them that would be better than my utter lack of interest in them. Main characters of the book and their motivations are shallow and their development is, wait, what development? There’s none.
Basically, most characters in the book are arrogant, vain, devious and shallow. They're motivated mainly by the greed, sexual drive, and power. Sure, these are powerful driving forces for real people as well. But I find it difficult to muster any sympathy for self-absorbed and hollow people. I love complex anti-heroes. Sadly, I fail to see any signs of real complexity in characters presented in Melokai.
Of course, we can agree to disagree on this one. Twists do occur. Characters die. Other characters suffer and experience a change of heart but I'm not sure it was done in a convincing way. Farraz "change" and monologue was caricatural. Ramya's reflexions near the end of the book were, well, interesting but they were just something we were told in the end. Not something that was palpable in her behavior. For me, these changes lacked subtlety and felt unbelievable.
The other reason can be defined in two words - sex and violence. I don't consider myself a prude. I have no objection to a well-written erotic scene in its place but I prefer the bedroom doors closing much sooner. In Melokai we witness gross anatomy, explicit sex scenes, things getting rough and violent. There's a rape scene and sexual violence toward both men and women. Personally, I fail to see how does it serve the plot aside from offering some shock value. So, for me, it was gritty and gruesome on the outside, empty inside.
Also, some of it was bizarre. Is it really the easiest way to poison someone by
Spoiler
covering your penis with venom and assuming that the future victim will want to suck itUsually, I have no problem with violence but the problem arises when the characters are built through these scenes. If sex and violence were cut out of the book only a short story would remain. I don't need to see toddler's crushed skull to despise the character who steps on it. Really.
In the end, I'll stay true to my feelings toward the book. I didn't like it. I see little value in the way the events were presented. On the other hand, the book is well structured, clever in places, well edited and neat. If you like your stories to be dark and a bit nihilistic chances are you're enjoy this tale much more than I.
filipmagnus's review against another edition
2.0
I received Melokai for free as part of r/fantasy’s TBRindr initiative, meant to popularize and highlight the works of independently published authors.
Melokai’s opening held a great deal of promise, which could’ve propelled the story forward. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t ultimately deliver on the promises made, both by its opening and its cover. Before I get down to the Good, Bad and Meh, I would like to state that this review represents only my opinion of Melokai. Although my opinion leans to the negative, many have enjoyed this world and the last thing I want to do is belittle the author’s labour in putting together this novel. It is my hope to provide what amounts to constructive criticism below.
With that in mind, let’s jump into the specifics!
THE BAD
Melokai Ramya: A novel lives or dies by its lead and the eponymous Melokai is not a character whose headspace I enjoyed sharing. She is often cruel–and casually so, for no other purpose than cruelty’s sake, best displayed when she orders an ambassador castrated and his tongue cut for being too presumptuous.
Cruelty alone makes for an unlikable character but it’s okay for the main character to be unlikable, especially at the start of a novel. Gully Foyle was unlikable for a good portion of “Tiger!Tiger!”, and Senlin of more recent “Books of Babbel” fame also started off as unlikable, only to grow to be one of my favourite protagonists in recent years. No, what makes Ramya a bad character is the fact that I didn’t buy into her believability.
Very early on, the novel as much as tells us this is a woman among women, a skilled and wise leader who’s led her nation of female mountain warriors for twelve years. The moment she falls for a savage, all that goes out of the window, in a time of crisis when her country needs her most. I suspect it was the author’s intent to write someone conflicted between love and duty; execution falls well short of that. Ramya comes off as the main architect of her own destruction (and of everything she holds dear), with virtually all problems that befall her a result of her inaction. I can see the potential of this idea–I love seeing characters come undone under the weight of their mistakes(take for example Roland of Gilead, the protagonist of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series)–but the decisions Ramya made didn’t engage me in any meaningful way. The fact that very little happens with this supposed legendary warrior until the last few chapters doesn’t help.
The Dialogue: Too many characters read similar, came off as bland, and the choice of words didn’t fit the world of the novel.
Most PoV characters suffer from the same issues the Melokai does — they’re self-absorbed, never change or grow in a real, convincing way.
Gratuitous sexual content: I appreciate sexual content in novels when it has a purpose. A well-placed scene of the sexual act can be used to the benefit of a story — Joe Abercrombie’s “Best Served Cold” has an excellent scene which furthers both the inter-character conflict and the entire plot of the novel. Melokai’s sex scenes are often brutal and shocking while offering the plot very little of significance. Explicit sex content may be a mainstay in grimdark fantasy but it should figure in a story as more than a gimmick used for shock value.
The Writing Style: Simple and too lean by far for my tastes.
The Ending *:*The ending, in which the Melokai, while fighting to save her beloved and her newborn baby’s life, decides to toy with a particularly grating princeling instead of cutting him down with the ease she’s able to. This scene had me fuming since it was the first time since the beginning of the book during which I was actively engaged with what was happening; until, of course, what little of Ramya’s personality I bought into was overwritten by something I can’t ever buy in the mother of a newborn — the decision to play with an opponent when she could’ve cut him down.
THE MEH
V: The only human character I was interested in, V did not share all the problems I had with other PoV characters.
The Swear Words: Despite years of Pavlovian-like training under Brandon Sanderson and Brian McClellan’s made-up swear words, I still don’t find them particularly endearing. “Zhaq” did nothing for me, nor did the other terms.
The Wolves: Interesting but difficult to visualize at times.
THE GOOD
A great many good ideas: Though the execution is sloppy as I’ve discussed above, I appreciate what Rosalyn Kelly was going for.
The Worldbuilding: A nation ruled by women, wolves walking on two legs, cats speaking, these elements make for only a small part of what Melokai has to offer. I was interested in these different cultures and enjoyed learning more about them. The matriarchal society, in particular, was quite interesting to learn about, what with placing men in the position of slaves and worse.
The Cover: It’s the kind of cover that draws you in and awakens your curiosity. Whether the book delivered on the image’s promise or not, I can’t deny its a strong image, this one.
Adaptive People: People adapt according to their habitat. I don’t recall any explanation on how that worked, but it’s a very interesting idea.
The Verdict
I had a hard time finishing this book. Despite my initial enthusiasm, this was not the sort of grimdark novel I enjoy. Too much felt pointless to me. I enjoy grimdark not for the cruel and vile actions that this subgenre often employs, but for the way characters are shaped by and overcome all manner of hardships (if only to fail miserably at the end). Melokai didn’t offer any characters I found compelling; I appreciate the work author Rosalyn Kelly has put into it but I got very little enjoyment in my time with this particular novel.
Many others did, though! I encourage you to read through several of the four- and five-star reviews on Melokai’s Goodreads page to receive perspectives different from my own. Perhaps what they enjoyed will resonate with you more than my own views. And of course, the best way to make up your own mind is to read it yourself!
Melokai’s opening held a great deal of promise, which could’ve propelled the story forward. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t ultimately deliver on the promises made, both by its opening and its cover. Before I get down to the Good, Bad and Meh, I would like to state that this review represents only my opinion of Melokai. Although my opinion leans to the negative, many have enjoyed this world and the last thing I want to do is belittle the author’s labour in putting together this novel. It is my hope to provide what amounts to constructive criticism below.
With that in mind, let’s jump into the specifics!
THE BAD
Melokai Ramya: A novel lives or dies by its lead and the eponymous Melokai is not a character whose headspace I enjoyed sharing. She is often cruel–and casually so, for no other purpose than cruelty’s sake, best displayed when she orders an ambassador castrated and his tongue cut for being too presumptuous.
Cruelty alone makes for an unlikable character but it’s okay for the main character to be unlikable, especially at the start of a novel. Gully Foyle was unlikable for a good portion of “Tiger!Tiger!”, and Senlin of more recent “Books of Babbel” fame also started off as unlikable, only to grow to be one of my favourite protagonists in recent years. No, what makes Ramya a bad character is the fact that I didn’t buy into her believability.
Very early on, the novel as much as tells us this is a woman among women, a skilled and wise leader who’s led her nation of female mountain warriors for twelve years. The moment she falls for a savage, all that goes out of the window, in a time of crisis when her country needs her most. I suspect it was the author’s intent to write someone conflicted between love and duty; execution falls well short of that. Ramya comes off as the main architect of her own destruction (and of everything she holds dear), with virtually all problems that befall her a result of her inaction. I can see the potential of this idea–I love seeing characters come undone under the weight of their mistakes(take for example Roland of Gilead, the protagonist of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series)–but the decisions Ramya made didn’t engage me in any meaningful way. The fact that very little happens with this supposed legendary warrior until the last few chapters doesn’t help.
The Dialogue: Too many characters read similar, came off as bland, and the choice of words didn’t fit the world of the novel.
Most PoV characters suffer from the same issues the Melokai does — they’re self-absorbed, never change or grow in a real, convincing way.
Gratuitous sexual content: I appreciate sexual content in novels when it has a purpose. A well-placed scene of the sexual act can be used to the benefit of a story — Joe Abercrombie’s “Best Served Cold” has an excellent scene which furthers both the inter-character conflict and the entire plot of the novel. Melokai’s sex scenes are often brutal and shocking while offering the plot very little of significance. Explicit sex content may be a mainstay in grimdark fantasy but it should figure in a story as more than a gimmick used for shock value.
The Writing Style: Simple and too lean by far for my tastes.
The Ending *:*The ending, in which the Melokai, while fighting to save her beloved and her newborn baby’s life, decides to toy with a particularly grating princeling instead of cutting him down with the ease she’s able to. This scene had me fuming since it was the first time since the beginning of the book during which I was actively engaged with what was happening; until, of course, what little of Ramya’s personality I bought into was overwritten by something I can’t ever buy in the mother of a newborn — the decision to play with an opponent when she could’ve cut him down.
THE MEH
V: The only human character I was interested in, V did not share all the problems I had with other PoV characters.
The Swear Words: Despite years of Pavlovian-like training under Brandon Sanderson and Brian McClellan’s made-up swear words, I still don’t find them particularly endearing. “Zhaq” did nothing for me, nor did the other terms.
The Wolves: Interesting but difficult to visualize at times.
THE GOOD
A great many good ideas: Though the execution is sloppy as I’ve discussed above, I appreciate what Rosalyn Kelly was going for.
The Worldbuilding: A nation ruled by women, wolves walking on two legs, cats speaking, these elements make for only a small part of what Melokai has to offer. I was interested in these different cultures and enjoyed learning more about them. The matriarchal society, in particular, was quite interesting to learn about, what with placing men in the position of slaves and worse.
The Cover: It’s the kind of cover that draws you in and awakens your curiosity. Whether the book delivered on the image’s promise or not, I can’t deny its a strong image, this one.
Adaptive People: People adapt according to their habitat. I don’t recall any explanation on how that worked, but it’s a very interesting idea.
The Verdict
I had a hard time finishing this book. Despite my initial enthusiasm, this was not the sort of grimdark novel I enjoy. Too much felt pointless to me. I enjoy grimdark not for the cruel and vile actions that this subgenre often employs, but for the way characters are shaped by and overcome all manner of hardships (if only to fail miserably at the end). Melokai didn’t offer any characters I found compelling; I appreciate the work author Rosalyn Kelly has put into it but I got very little enjoyment in my time with this particular novel.
Many others did, though! I encourage you to read through several of the four- and five-star reviews on Melokai’s Goodreads page to receive perspectives different from my own. Perhaps what they enjoyed will resonate with you more than my own views. And of course, the best way to make up your own mind is to read it yourself!
see_sadie_read's review against another edition
1.0
This book has an awesome cover and I was really looking forward to loving it. Unfortunately, the writing, story and plotting do not live up to that amazing image. I'm DNFing this at 25%. As I said in a status update, before deciding to quit, the book feels like it's trying hard to be transgressive. And like someone who is trying hard to be funny and failing, it's just painful to watch. The book just isn't very good.
bookwormdaydreamer's review
4.0
I received a copy for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Trigger warnings for gore and sexual violence.
Melokai is an epic fantasy featuring a great, diverse cast of characters and an intriguing storyline which, while not having many twists and turns, still manages to be compelling.
The book starts in the mountain country of Peqya, a country ruled by women and in which men are reduced to slaves and Pleasure Givers (actual term in the book). Ramya is the titular Melokai, or the country's ruler. She believes her people loves her and are happy with her long and prosperous rule. As the rest of the novel progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that this isn't exactly the case. Her own advisers for example, express their disagreement and in some cases, disgust even at her actions. Peqya also advocates equality between women but not with men and it predictably made a lot of people disgruntled and angry with their lot in life.
Ramya isn't the only POV character though. The book features different point-of-views, from Ramya's former PG to royalty from distant lands to people in her army even. Ramya herself wasn't even my favorite POV character in this book. In fact, I found her to be arrogant and she also made some decisions which I thought should have resulted in international incidents. As a ruler, she was said to be a good one but either I have different standards or that was just what she thought of herself. It's one of those things I appreciate about this book- Ramya thinks about one thing, doesn't mind the consequences, and doesn't think about the people she's actually alienating.
The other characters are also pretty good. There's a spoiled brat prince from a desert country who gets his ass handed to him, a queen from another country who becomes friends with Ramya, and even a sentient wolf with a complicated past. All of their arcs come together to form an intricately woven fantasy world.
I also loved the world-building. It feels incredibly lush, from the decadent nations to the harsh lands the wolves inhabit, I felt totally immersed in the worlds and cultures the author was describing. I also liked the cat imagery presented in Peqya, even though I myself identifies as more of a dog lover. I also liked the writing style which conveyed the characters' personalities, motivations, and characteristics very well.
All in all, I really liked the novel and I'll also be putting the next one on my TBR list.
Trigger warnings for gore and sexual violence.
Melokai is an epic fantasy featuring a great, diverse cast of characters and an intriguing storyline which, while not having many twists and turns, still manages to be compelling.
The book starts in the mountain country of Peqya, a country ruled by women and in which men are reduced to slaves and Pleasure Givers (actual term in the book). Ramya is the titular Melokai, or the country's ruler. She believes her people loves her and are happy with her long and prosperous rule. As the rest of the novel progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that this isn't exactly the case. Her own advisers for example, express their disagreement and in some cases, disgust even at her actions. Peqya also advocates equality between women but not with men and it predictably made a lot of people disgruntled and angry with their lot in life.
Ramya isn't the only POV character though. The book features different point-of-views, from Ramya's former PG to royalty from distant lands to people in her army even. Ramya herself wasn't even my favorite POV character in this book. In fact, I found her to be arrogant and she also made some decisions which I thought should have resulted in international incidents. As a ruler, she was said to be a good one but either I have different standards or that was just what she thought of herself. It's one of those things I appreciate about this book- Ramya thinks about one thing, doesn't mind the consequences, and doesn't think about the people she's actually alienating.
The other characters are also pretty good. There's a spoiled brat prince from a desert country who gets his ass handed to him, a queen from another country who becomes friends with Ramya, and even a sentient wolf with a complicated past. All of their arcs come together to form an intricately woven fantasy world.
I also loved the world-building. It feels incredibly lush, from the decadent nations to the harsh lands the wolves inhabit, I felt totally immersed in the worlds and cultures the author was describing. I also liked the cat imagery presented in Peqya, even though I myself identifies as more of a dog lover. I also liked the writing style which conveyed the characters' personalities, motivations, and characteristics very well.
All in all, I really liked the novel and I'll also be putting the next one on my TBR list.
ksmarsden's review against another edition
4.0
Ramya has led the Pekya people successfully for years, but new threats are rising from all directions. Now, she must choose between what she wants, and her duty as Melokai.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ramya is the head of a tribe of cat-like people, where women are in control. All males are treated as servants and slaves, as they have proven themselves incapable of having any responsibilities.
The Pekians are full of traditions, and are a very proud people. Their women are fierce warriors, trained from a young age. They have a community that is built on sharing and helping each other, and everything seems to be working smoothly.
There are various other races in the world that Kelly has created, and they are so original and creative. With the blind cave-dwellers with translucent skin; the desert-dwellers that are part-camel, with their humps; the wild wolves that have evolved to stand upright; the midgets in a distant land; and of course, good old humans.
There's a wonderful, well-rounded feel to this imaginative world. Not only with its races, but the histories and territories.
There is a lot of sex in this book. I have to say this, because there is, more than I was expecting! It is very sex-positive for the most parts, and the Pekian females are confident and at ease with their sexuality.
There are a couple of instances of rape (just to warn anyone who is easily offended by that sort of storyline), one where the male cammers attack a female Pekian; and several instances where the female Pekians demand sex from their males (males aren't allowed to refuse, and if they fail to give pleasure, they are killed in a slow and torturous fashion).
It was... interesting to how Pekya viewed sex abuse, depending on the gender of the victim.
The not-so-good
This is a strong debut, but you can tell it's a debut.
Kelly hurries to share as much of her world as possible, and I struggled to keep up.
Throughout the narration, there were a lot of characters that took turns to carry the story, and I found it hard to connect or root for any particular one. Not many of the characters stood out, and their voices weren't unique enough, to pull my attention back in when the story returned to their particular adventure.
The ones that stood out most were Prince Ammad, and Ferraz. They are both very selfish males, in very different roles. Both allow their pride to make them malleable, and I really disliked them. (A good thing, dear reader, they are bad guys).
I was quite keen on the Melokai, Ramya; but found her reaction to the Fert Queen to be a little hard to believe. This strong, independent warrior of a woman, who had spent her whole life serving Pekya; suddenly became giggly. When the Fert Queen leaves, we also see Ramya become moody and act in selfish and blind ways. I missed my tough Ramya!
Anyways, moving on. The ending. OMG the ending. Kelly really kicked it up a gear! I was hooked during the final battle; and shocked; and impressed. No spoilers, you have to read to find that out!
Overall, I think it was a 3.5 out of 5 for me.
This was a strong debut, and I look forward to more of this author's work.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ramya is the head of a tribe of cat-like people, where women are in control. All males are treated as servants and slaves, as they have proven themselves incapable of having any responsibilities.
The Pekians are full of traditions, and are a very proud people. Their women are fierce warriors, trained from a young age. They have a community that is built on sharing and helping each other, and everything seems to be working smoothly.
There are various other races in the world that Kelly has created, and they are so original and creative. With the blind cave-dwellers with translucent skin; the desert-dwellers that are part-camel, with their humps; the wild wolves that have evolved to stand upright; the midgets in a distant land; and of course, good old humans.
There's a wonderful, well-rounded feel to this imaginative world. Not only with its races, but the histories and territories.
There is a lot of sex in this book. I have to say this, because there is, more than I was expecting! It is very sex-positive for the most parts, and the Pekian females are confident and at ease with their sexuality.
There are a couple of instances of rape (just to warn anyone who is easily offended by that sort of storyline), one where the male cammers attack a female Pekian; and several instances where the female Pekians demand sex from their males (males aren't allowed to refuse, and if they fail to give pleasure, they are killed in a slow and torturous fashion).
It was... interesting to how Pekya viewed sex abuse, depending on the gender of the victim.
The not-so-good
This is a strong debut, but you can tell it's a debut.
Kelly hurries to share as much of her world as possible, and I struggled to keep up.
Throughout the narration, there were a lot of characters that took turns to carry the story, and I found it hard to connect or root for any particular one. Not many of the characters stood out, and their voices weren't unique enough, to pull my attention back in when the story returned to their particular adventure.
The ones that stood out most were Prince Ammad, and Ferraz. They are both very selfish males, in very different roles. Both allow their pride to make them malleable, and I really disliked them. (A good thing, dear reader, they are bad guys).
I was quite keen on the Melokai, Ramya; but found her reaction to the Fert Queen to be a little hard to believe. This strong, independent warrior of a woman, who had spent her whole life serving Pekya; suddenly became giggly. When the Fert Queen leaves, we also see Ramya become moody and act in selfish and blind ways. I missed my tough Ramya!
Anyways, moving on. The ending. OMG the ending. Kelly really kicked it up a gear! I was hooked during the final battle; and shocked; and impressed. No spoilers, you have to read to find that out!
Overall, I think it was a 3.5 out of 5 for me.
This was a strong debut, and I look forward to more of this author's work.
renaegade's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book! The characters are beautiful, the world building is magnificent, and the plot will keep you turning the pages!
matt_darksidreads's review against another edition
2.0
I received a free copy of this book through TBRindr to leave an honest review.
I could not get into the story of the book because of the strong sexual aspect of the book. It was highly distracting from the story.
I could not get into the story of the book because of the strong sexual aspect of the book. It was highly distracting from the story.